


The Sharing

by pairatime



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-18 13:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4708037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pairatime/pseuds/pairatime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What John Sheppard saw and learned during the sharing with Chaya.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Fanfic for Stargate. I don’t own it. I’m making no money.  
> I got this at the end of “Sanctuary. This story was outlined after Sanctuary and before “BEFORE I SLEEP” and “THE BROTHERHOOD” aired so they have not and will not happen. Betaed by the great compli_cait, she is wonderful and great.

“This is cool!”

As the white light of the sharing swirled around him, Major John Sheppard felt a variety of emotions wash over him, human emotions. When he opened his eyes he looked into Chaya’s eyes and said, “You are human, aren’t you?”

“I am as human as you, John.”

“But the Ancients can do all these things that we can’t.”

“John, we had millions of years to evolve. After that long the people of Earth will have gifts as well…if they live.”

“We’re not that …” Sheppard stopped short as he looked around for the first time. They weren’t standing in the temple of Athar; they were standing on a balcony that over looked a city…a city surrounded by an ocean. “This isn’t Procutus, its Atlantis. How,” Sheppard asked turning to Chaya.

“We are not in Atlantis, John. This is a…glimpse of my past.” She turned away from the balcony’s edge and gestured to the room that the balcony opened from. “Those are my people when we lived in Atlantis.”

The room was filled with dozens of people walking and talking with one another and looking like they were having a good time. They were all dressed in robes like the woman in the hologram they found in Atlantis. As John's eyes drifted across the room he saw Chaya and smiled when he saw that she looked happy…just like on their picnic. Then he saw the woman she was talking to, it was the woman from the hologram. “That woman you’re talking to…” John asked as he pointed to her, “who is she?” 

“She is Alantru, the leader of our people. How is it you know of her?”

“She left a message in Atlantis warning of the Wraith. So she’s your leader huh? I guess we do have something in common. So, what’s this for, did you win a battle with the Wraith?”

“No, this was before all that. We had just come to this galaxy. We were full of hope. Hope to create new life, hope to find more of the universe's wonders, hope to revitalize our race, and hope to rebuild our empire.” Chaya stopped and turned away from the party and back to the ocean. “Hopes that were dashed when we met the Wraith. In a short time we were losing the most important war we would ever fight. A war over life itself; a war we lost.”

“What happened? You guys have all this technology and you still lost? How?” 

“That is why we lost. We thought the Wraith were like all the other races we had met. Weaker than us. This time we were wrong. They were, are, our equal. By the time we understood that the Wraith were winning. I ascended before the war was over, but I watched the last battle over Atlantis. The last of our fleet pushed the Wraith back long enough for the city to be sunk and our people to leave. Our greatest admiral died that day giving the rest of the fleet time to retreat,” Chaya said motioning to one of the men at the celebration.

John looked at the man and froze. He stared at the man, it was like looking in a mirror, not a normal mirror, but a fun house mirror but instead of fatter or taller it was older. “He looks like me,” he exclaimed in surprise.

“You are his descendant. As your friend is also a descendant of his friend.” Chaya looked over at the man the admiral was talking to.

John watched him for a moment and realized that he reminded him of Carson. “Carson… Who is he,” he asked turning to Chaya.

“He is one of our greatest thinkers.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why aren’t the others stopping you,” John demanded.

“You need to know what’s coming, John.”

“What's coming, Chaya? The Wraith?” 

“Yes, the Wraith seek to destroy of all the people of Atlantis.”

“But all of you are gone.”

“Not all of us. They know of one.” She looked into his eyes seeing the question forming in his mind. “You, John, you.”

As soon as the words were out of her month the world around him blurred white and he was back at Athar’s temple on Procutus with Chaya nowhere in view.


	2. On Atlantis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was going on at Atlantis when John’s on Procutus.

“He’ll come back ma’am.”

“He’d better, I reserve the right to kill him personally Lieutenant,” responded Dr. Elizabeth Weir as she looked over at Lieutenant Ford as they overlooked the gate room from the walkway between her office and the control room.

Dr. Rodney McKay and Teyla Emmagan were also with them; the former just kept staring at the gate looking ticked off, with the other just calmly looking out one of the many windows at the slowly setting sun.

“So do you think that she was a real Ancient?” the young Lieutenant asked.

“No she just pretended to turn into a white glowing form and opened the gate from thirty feet away,” sarcastically answered McKay.

“Really, I thought it was more yellow.” Ford smirked.

McKay turned away from the gate and to Ford as he rolled his eyes “I’ll-”

“Rodney, Lieutenant, both of you needs to stop, I don’t need to deal with this right now,” interrupted Dr. Weir looking back and forth between the two.

“Dr. Weir is right, we are all worried about Major Sheppard, we shouldn’t fight with each other,” Teyla added.

“I’m not worried about him, the Major is quite capable of looking after-,” McKay broke off his comment when the gate spun to life, “that had better be him” McKay added as he turned to walk to the control room before the others could reply.

“Lieutenant could you find Dr. Beckett, we need to have a little meeting,” Dr. Weir asked Lt. Ford before following McKay into the Control room.

“Yes Ma’am,” Ford said as he turned to go to Dr. Beckett’s lab.

“Let’s hurry, the faster we find him the sooner we to can talk to the Major,” added Teyla as she followed Lieutenant Ford.

Both McKay and Weir watch from the control rooms as the Stargate spun to life only to be covered by the energy shield. “Are we receiving,” Weir started before she was cut off by the tech at the controls, “It’s Major Sheppard ma’am,” he broke in before turning off the energy shield.

Less than a minute later Major Sheppard’s Puddle Jumper came through the Gate. All of those in Control watched as the Jumper rose up and into the Jumperbay. As it was rising Dr. Weir turned to one of the guards that watch over both the Gate and Control rooms “Sergeant Fordman will you please get Major Sheppard and make sure that he come directly to the Meeting room” she said in a way that said she was not asking.

“Yes Ma’am” the blond man replied as he left for the Jumperbay.

“Come on Rodney lets get the meeting room ready.”

The pair walked across the main stairway to the main meeting room in Atlantis. When they first arrived it had held that hologram of the women telling them of last days of the city; but the room was so much more. With a few taps on the keypad and the table and chair sank into the floor or came out to meet the needs of the day.  
After hitting a few buttons the triangle table was up and Weir sat down in one of the seats “We’ll start as soon as they get here”

“Yes and Sheppard can tell us how he knew the Wraith were attacking and if Chaya will help or if nothing else, talk to us.”

“I hope she does Rodney, I hope she dose.”


	3. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What John’s back and they have a meeting and talk about what happened.

Major John Sheppard took a deep breath before opening the Jumper’s door. He knew that he would have to talk with the others sooner or later, and they’d probably want it sooner not later. But he still didn’t know what to tell them. Should he tell them all of it or should he leave out the part about him being an…one of them. Even in his mind he couldn’t say it how, could he tell them, and Carson? That should be done alone first, right? Maybe he could get a little time his room to think. With that he punched the button the opened the door. 

“Sir, Dr. Weir would like to see you in the meeting room sir,” The words came before the door was even fully opened, and John knew that he would have no time to think alone, he turned to look at the man that had spoken.

“Well then, let’s not keep her waiting, let’s go,” was all he said as he started walking with the Sergeant behind him.

***

Major Sheppard arrived at the meeting room at almost the same time as Carson. Dr. Beckett the chief medic doctor in Atlantis and one of the few to have the Ancient gene, what to tell him, should he be told or not? John wasn’t sure. 

He took his seat across from Dr. Weir with Mckay to his far left and Carson between them, and on his right Teyla sat at the far end with Lt. Ford in the middle. After the doors shut he was the first to speak, “Chaya can’t help us.”

“We are not asking for a lot Major, and it is a large planet,” replied Teyla.

“I said can’t, not won’t Teyla. The others won’t let her help us, or anyone that’s not born on Proculus.”

“If nothing else, can she talk to us. We could learn so much from her,” suggested Dr. Weir.

“She can talk to us, but she can’t tell us anything useful. The others won’t let her.”

“What others, she was the only one there,” demanded Mckay.

“The other Ancients that Ascended, they don’t like messing with this level of reality. She did one time, that’s why she’s being punished,” John answered.

“How is protecting her world a punishment,” asked Lieutenant Ford.

“Because she can only protect her world and its’ people and no one else. She has to watch and do nothing. That is a horrid punishment when she could destroy any Wraith ship that even tried to collect humans for food,” the answer came from Dr. Weir as she looked at the Major, “But what I’d like to know is more about the others.” 

“ The other Ancients, most of them, think that they shouldn’t mess with what’s going on with this world”

“But why?!” shouted Carson speaking for the first time, causing the others to look at him, “they hold life in high regards, why are they letting a race that lives by consuming life, life they created, continue to destroy life?”

John looked at Carson and made one of the more difficult decisions that he had to make, “She showed me what the Ancients were like before they meet the Wraith.” John stopped when the other showed their surprise by sitting up in their chairs or letting out gasped of surprise or in others ways, then he continued, “they looked so happy…so full of hope, even Chaya. I think that’s why they don’t help when they lost to the Wraith they lost that.”

At first nothing was said as they all thought over what the Major had said, it was Lieutenant Ford who broke the silence first, “They lost their will to fight, how? They were fighting for their lives.”

“No they weren’t. They weren’t fighting for their lives, they could've Ascended or return to Earth. They were fighting for everyone else,” it was McKay who answered Lieutenant Ford’s question.

“They grew tired of all the war, didn’t they” asked Teyla.

“Its’ happened before on Earth,” this time it was Weir once more.

As they talked John Sheppard let his mind wonder, his eyes drifting over the group. Was this what the Ancients’ counsel looked like, he knew that they were lead by a women, Alantru, just like Weir, and that the military head was…someone like him. Did they have a scientist like Mckay, or some one like Teyla, was there a head doctor like Carson, and was Carson’s ancestor on the counsel somehow? Thinking of Carson made John think of the other decision he had to make, should he tell him and when should he do it?

“Major…Major,” Dr. Weir’s voice pulled John out of his thoughts and back into the real world. “What, huh? I didn’t catch that last part.”

“Are you alright Major, do you need a break before we finish this?” Dr. Weir asked looking a little concerned.

“No I’m fine, just thinking” was all he said.

“No wonder you couldn’t hear us, doing both must be very hard.” came McKay’s snarky reply.

“Not right now you two,” interrupted Dr. Weir before John could return fire at McKay. “Major was there anything else that she said which might be important?”

“Yes, there is one more thing,” John stated before stopping and looking over the group. “She said that the Wraith may think that…” he stopped not sure how to continue, not sure if he could say the words.

“What did she say Major?” came the inquisitive voice of Dr. Weir.

After taking a deep breath John started again, “that I’m one of…that I’m an Ancient,” he blurted out at last, looking at the surprise and shock on everyone’s faces.


	4. More Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting continues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Neth, WildFire203, Lorrie, tracy-thenaggingone, Merlin71, and highonscifi for reviewing. Please keep it up. There is a crossover but as far only with Whitney Fordman from Smallville. This Fic AU after Sanctuary the rest of the shows has not and will not happen. I have an idea and I ran with it. And now the show lets me know that my Ideas will not ever happen.

“Did you just say that you’re an Ancient, Major?” asked Dr. Elizabeth Weir breaking several minuets of silence.

“No, the Wraith think that I’m an Ancient, but I’m not. I just have the gene, that’s all,” stated Major Sheppard looking at Dr. Weir.

“But why do they think that you are one?” Asked Teyla.

“Look, I don’t know. That was the last thing that Chaya told me. She said that the Wraith think that I’m an Ancient, then she left before I could ask any more questions.” explained John looking over the group.

“That’s why we haven’t been attacked yet.” Shouted McKay in a moment of realization.

“Why would that Major being an Ancient stop the Wraith from attacking Atlantis?” asked Lt. Ford.

“They don’t think that he’s alone. They may think that all the Ancients are back.” this insight came from Dr. Carson Beckett.

“They thought the Ancients were either all dead or gone for good. Then they find out that there one right under their nose,” McKay stopped his rant as he got up and started to pace the room, “Don’t you see? They don’t know if it just him or all of them that are back.”  
“But they won the last war Rodney. Why would they worry at all?” came the inquiring voice of Dr. Weir.

“That’s just it, last time they won with surprise and the over confidents of the Ancients. But even last time I don’t think that it was easy.” McKay started to pace quicker as he began to speak even faster, “We know that the Wraith had to run supplies to the ships that they had here. We’ve been on two Hive ships, both had…supplies,” McKay flinched at calling people supplies, “They would not have needed to be re-supplied for a short battle, and you don’t make a ship for just one siege. They have to do it a lot. The Ancients have every advantage just didn’t see the need to fight the Wraith with their full might till it was too late. This time the Wraith won’t have that, and the Ancients have had thousands of years to build better weapons.” he finished with a deep breath.

“But the Wraith have had that time as well,” said Dr. Weir.

“No they haven’t,” came Carson, “The Wraith spend most of their time hibernating, eating, or finding food. They have some time to advance but not as much as other races.”

“He’s right, the ship we found from the War and the Hive ships we’ve been on are very much the same,” added McKay.

“Do they even know that their not from this Galaxy?” Lt Ford asked getting strange looks for the rest of the table. “Well how would they know that the Ancients weren’t from Pegasus. I don’t see the Ancients telling them.”

“Over the course of the war they more than likely found out.” answered Dr. Weir.

“What about Atlantis, the city was sunk. Maybe the Wraith think the city is gone?” asked Carson.

“That would mean that this world is safe from the Wraith,” said Teyla.

“Hold it now, we don’t know what the Wraith do or don’t know. But we can try and investigate to see if we can find out. Till now we assumed that they knew all about us, lets find out if they really do, “ordered Dr. Weir, “Now Major, your team is grounded for a few days, get some rest.”

John looked up at Dr. Weir getting ready to argue but stopped when he saw the determined look on Dr. Weir’s face, “Well if any one needs me in the next couple of days I’ll be in my room taking a nap.” he jokingly replied.


	5. The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John dreams and meets someone willing to help.

John walked thru the empty halls of Atlantis, wandering, not really sure where he was. The halls were much like the halls all over the city, but he was in a tower, one he’d never been in, yet something was drawing him upward. Level after level he went up till he came to the end of the stairs, John looked over to the hall, it held three doors, one on the right, one on the left, and one at the far end of the hall. There were markings on the doors but in the dim light he couldn’t make anything out.

John jumped and brought up his hands when the center door opened. After a moment he slowly began to make his way to the newly opened door. As he neared the door he saw that behind the door was a flight of stairs. Slowly he made his way to and up the stairs. Half way up the steps they turned to the right then opened up into a large room that encompassed the top level. A large green-topped table dominated the center of the room with chairs surrounding it; but what really stood out was that all the walls and even the peaked ceiling were all glass. The view was breath taking. John walked over to one of the walls and gazed over the city. The gleaming spires and shafts were painted in fiery oranges and mellow reds by the waning sun. The tower he was in dominated one of the piers and it gave him a full view of the center city. John turned and walked to the other side to see the sun slowly setting into the Ocean. The view extended to the horizon before him allowing him to perceive the curving of the planet as the ocean seemed to fall away at the edges. Swelling waves that overtopped their neighbors showed strongly in gleaming orange against the cerulean blue water. Off to one side John could trace a zephyr as it blew spray from the unruly waves and made ribbons of splendid colors from the riotous last light of the day. 

“Beautiful isn’t it?” a voice asked from behind him.

John spun around to face the voice drawing his sidearm. “Who are you?” he demanded.

The man raised himself from one of the chairs and stepped over to the ocean side wall, ignoring both John’s gun and question, “I used to watch the sun set all the time,” the man stopped smiling at the memory, “the night before we sank the city I stayed in this room all night watching the stars,” the man turned to the other wall, “I watched the sun rise over the city for the last time all those years age, so long ago,” he ended in a whisper.

John lowered his gun and studied the man, he looked to be in his late twenty’s with short brown hair and a solid build of someone trained to fight, but he looked relaxed, calm. “You’re an Ancient aren’t you?” John questioned.

“That’s one of our names, yes,” the man answered looking at the sunset.

“Why are you here, why now?”

“Chaya opened a doorway that she hoped others would use,” the man said before turning to face John, “I have…you look just like him…she knew I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

“Then you’ll help us?” came John’s surprised reply as he holstered his gun knowing that it would be of not help if he were forced to fight this man.

“Only with words…you and the Admiral have a lot in common, more than just your looks, you act the same…” the man paused before walking over to the green table, when he passed his hand over the table a hologram rose out of it and showed the Pegasus Galaxy, “what you need is here” he said as he pointed to a dot out outside of the galaxy it self.

John looked over the map to see that most of the dots had gate address next to them but this one didn’t, “I don’t see a gate address, what is it?”

“There is not one, you have to go by ship,” was all he said.

“We don’t have one and the Jumper would take years,” John said looking for the closest world with a gate.

“Jumper…no you can’t use them, there are ships hidden on other worlds,” the man’s eyes searched the map looking for one, “you need to go…” the man stopped and look over at the horizon.

John looked as well to see an orange glow that didn’t look like the sun, “wh...?”

“I have to go” the man cut John off.

“Wait” John shouted as he tried to grab the man. The man half turned and looked John in the eyes…

John woke with a start, breathing hard as he jumped half out of his bed before his mind kicked in and overrode his instincts. “It was a dream, just a dream.”


	6. Talking Alone and Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John talks with Carson and Weir’s talks with Mckay

The main medical lab always usually had people coming and going, serving as the infirmary and main laboratory for testing just about everything they found both in Atlantis and the rest of Pegasus. It also held one other thing, Dr. Carson Beckett’s office, or at least the closes thing he had to one. After arriving in the city, Carson had put his personal computer and other belongings in one of the side rooms of the large lab they found not far from the gate room and just never bothered to move. Because of that, one of the heads of the expedition had a rather small windowless office that was easy to walk right by if you didn’t know it was there. And it was that office that Major John Sheppard found himself standing outside of with his hand over the door control.

After taking a deep breath John opened the door and walked into Carson’s office to see him working on his computer…three computers actually, “One Computer not good enough Doc?” John asked a surprised Dr. Beckett.

“Whah? Ah, Major I didn’t hear you come in, and as for the computers they’re each doing something different…” Carson stopped and looked at the Major “…have you ever been in here before? I didn’t even know you knew where my office was, you normally leave the infirmary as soon as you know you and your team are ok. Is something wrong?” Carson asked talking at great speed as he got up from his desk and grabbed his stethoscope.

“Now hold on. There’s nothing wrong with me, and of course I know where your office is, I oversee all security and you’re the head Doc. The reason I’m here is that I’ve got a few questions about the Ancients I’d like to ask.” John informed Carson after backing up to avoid being given a check-up.

“I knew you’d have questions about them, but why me? Rodney knows far more about the Ancients?” Carson’s surprise was obvious through his accent, making it clear he didn’t expect that John would come to him.

“If my questions were about their technology or what they did in the Milky Way then yes, but questions about them, physically, you know the most.” was the answer that John gave.

“I suppose you’re right Major, take a seat and we’ll talk.”

“Can we go somewhere more private then this?” he said gesturing to the doorway and the business of the lab beyond.

“I have just the place Major,” Carson said as he hit a few buttons on his computers.

“Lead the way.” John replied as he backed to the let Carson thru the door first.

Several minutes later the two men were half way up one the many towers that made up the center of Atlantis, “I found this room shortly after we got here, the room just feels so happy. I just can’t be sad there,” the Scott inform.

“What is it?” Sheppard asked.

“I’m not sure, it’s a large empty room, I can’t tell if it’s suppose to be empty or if they took what’s normal kept there, we’re here,” he said as they reach a another floor, this one had one door at the end of a hall not more then five feet long, “the room’s far enough away from the center or any transporter that it’s not used for anything, not even storage. We’ll be completely alone here,” he finished as he opened the door and walked in with out turning. 

John followed Carson into the room, it was very large taking up most of the floor with two side rooms and an over hanging balcony that was a floor up. The ceiling was a full three floors high giving the room a big airy feeling, the far wall from the door was glass and gave a view that told John where he was. “This is it! This is where we were.” he exclaimed.

Carson turned and looked at John strangely after hearing his shout, “When were you here, and with whom?” he questioned.

“With Chaya, she showed me a celebration that they were having in here. I remember the view; it had to be this room.” John said looking around the room. “They had parties in this room…they had one after they came to this galaxy. That’s what she showed me,” John’s voice grew distant as he stared at the distant remembering what Chaya had showed him, and told him, “…that’s part of what I wanted to talk about.”

“What did she show you Major?” asked Carson as he walked over to John.

John paused before responding, “We’ll get to that, but first I need you to answer some questions about the Ancients.” he said looking at Carson, “Starting with what makes them different from humans?” 

“From your remark earlier I take it you want to know the biologic difference, this could take some time, why don’t we sit down,” Carson said as he sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the window. After John joined him on the floor he continued, “As you know the Ancients looked like us, or we look like them actually. Physically there are very few different, eye and skin shape and color would be the only easily visible things. The real different is in the mind.” he stopped trying to find a way of telling John without over using medical terms. “Their minds are like ours but much more evolved and they could use more of it than we can. Some of what they can do, so can we if we learn.” Carson stopped thinking of something. “You’ve met General O’Neill, with the Ancient database in his mind he was able to use the Ancients healing power, that means that humans can…or those of us that naturally have the gene can anyway.” 

“Why only those who naturally have the gene?” John asked.

“The problem is we don’t know what part of the brain controls it, or if it is the brain. And we have more than just the one gene in common with the Ancients, it’s just we only know what one does. My theory is that you have more in common with them then the rest of us and that’s why you can control Ancient technology better then the rest of us…that may be why the Wraith think that you’re one,” Carson stopped and turned to look out over the ocean to see clouds on the horizon, “looks like we have a rain storm coming.”

“As long as it’s not as big as the last one,” John joked.

“Let’s hope not”

“All of us with the gene...we would’ve had ancestors on Atlantis right” John asked.

“Almost surely Major, there would’ve been very few in any Ancients left in the Milky Way after the plague, our ancestors would have had to come from Atlantis,” Carson explanted to John.

“Mine was an Admiral, and yours was a great thinker,” John said quickly.

“What?!” Shouted Carson, snapping his head to face John, “…what, she showed you, they were…”gesturing to the room.

“Yes, she pointed them both out…the women from the hologram is the leader of the Ancients”

“She showed you quite a bit Major” Carson said quietly hoping John would go on.

“John, call me John, there’s more…last night I met another Ancient.”

“What?! When?! Where?!” Carson shouted in surprise, “Was it one you’d met before, they were in Atlantis?”

“I don’t think I’ve seen him before, at least I don’t remember seeing him at the party, and he wasn’t in Atlantis, he was in my dream.”

Carson shifted around to lean against the glass wall, “Tell me about it and tell me more about this party.”

John turned his shoulder against the wall and watch and the rain starting to fall, then he began to talk, and that’s how they were found two hours latter, talking.

***

“Simon, I both wish that you were here and glad that you’re safely on Earth, now more than ever with the Wraith thinking that Major Sheppard an Ancient. They have to come to this world to see if Atlantis has returned and when they do…” Dr. Elizabeth Weir paused as she looked over what she had written before letting her eyes turn to the control room thru the window. Peter was working on one of the consoles with a couple of other scientist. Dr. Peter Gordin she worked with him first on Earth in Antarctic base and he was one of the first to sign on for the Atlantis expedition. His understanding of Ancient computer systems was second to none. And he was calm and reasonable unlike some of the other scientists.

“Good Morning Elizabeth,” Weir’s thoughts were interrupted when Rodney opened her office door, “I was just outside, it looks like we may get some rain soon.”

“Morning Rodney,” Weir replied as she closed he laptop, “You wanted to talk to me something you found in the Ancient’s Archives right?”

“Yes, we found a part of the Database that’s very heavily encrypted; we’re talking beyond anything else we found. I don’t think the Asgard would be able to crack this.” McKay rambled as he paced back and forth.

“Have you figured out what it is?” Dr. Weir questioned with interest.

“We can tell what part of it is, some of the coded sections control advance defense systems and other advance systems that are either too dangerous or to important to let just anyone with the gene access.” McKay added.

“What do we need to do to get that information?” said Dr. Weir hoping that whatever it was they could do it.

“Well see, that’s the problem, we don’t know but Zelenka has this theory. Every time we try to get the information this odd message come up. At first we couldn’t translate it, but Zelenka think he’s got it. Only neither of us can figure it out,” relayed Rodney.

“What does the message says Rodney?”

“Declare the mind’s Heart.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

“I don’t know, it makes no sense it sounds stupid and dumb. The mind’s heart it sounds like something out of Shakespeare, I hate Shakespeare,” Rodney ranted.

“Double check the translation Rodney, have someone else look at it”

“Zelenka and I know Ancient, Elizabeth, we’ve been translating most of what we work on.” He sounded insulted.

“Science terms and technical jargon Rodney, not real language or abstract ideas. The mind’s heart maybe the directed translation, but not what it really means. Have a real linguist look at it Rodney. Today.” her tone making it clear that it was on order.

“Fine, I’ll let you know what we find.” He said as he turned to leave.

“Oh wait, have you seen Carson? I stopped by his office but he wasn’t there,” Dr. Weir asked.

“Not since this morning. If I see him I’ll let him know you're looking for him.” McKay said as he left.

After McKay had left Dr. Weir turned back to computer. Only to leave it again when she left to talk to Dr. Peter Gordin about the encrypted systems.


	7. Talking Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelenak finds something but it only offers for questions and few answers.

“I see you are eating a late lunch as well Major,” Teyla said as she sat across from John.

John looked up from his tray to see that Teyla also had a tray of …beans stuff, those she had more of it and less Jell-O than he had, “Yeah, I lost track of time and missed my normal time, don’t you like Jell-O?” He said jiggling one of the larger cubes with his fork.

“It’s bright green Major?” She said looking at hers.

“Neon green” responded John.

“The color is not right…it’s unnatural Major,” Teyla said as she pushed her Jell-O away from the rest of her food.

The Major laugh at this as he turned the conversion to other things, “what do you have planed for today?”

“Aiden and I plan to do a little exploring along the west pier Major,” she said munching down on her meal.

“Exploring the west pier with ‘Aiden’” making it clear that he knew what it was really about.

Teyla was saved from further remarks by the arrival of Dr. Zelenka, “Ah, Major we found you, we have to show you something,” he rambled before turning and almost running into the three people that were following him.

John looked at Zelenka then Teyla then back at Zelenka then at the group with him, one Marine and two scientists, “Huh.”

Zelenka stopped when the Major didn’t get up to follow him, “You have to see this and turn it on. The Sgt. was having trouble getting it to stay on,” Zelenka said motioning for John to follow.

“Have fun with Ford,” John said to Teyla before following Zelenak, his curiosity getting the better of him.

***

Twenty minutes and a short walk later the five men were walking up the stairs of a tower on one of the piers. After a few sets of stairs John began to get the feeling that he’d been here before, when they reached the top level he knew why, he was in the tower from his dream.  
John watched as the Sgt. walked ahead of the group and opened the door at the end of the hall by putting his hand on a ‘doorknob’ and holding it; John gave Dr. Zelenak a curios glance. The doctor saw it, “The door is coded so that not everyone can open it. When the Ancients left they reset most of the locks so that anyone with the Gene can work them, and it has to be the real Gene, those of us with the imitation Gene couldn’t open it and none of us has been able to open the side doors, not sure why,” the last bit was mumble more to himself that to John.

After Dr. Zelenak had all but jumped up the stairs he turned and began to explain why he had John there, “Once we got into the room it was this display that got our interest,” he said pointing to the green topped table, “we think that it’s a tactical map of Pegasus, Sgt. Fordmen couldn’t get it to stay one for more then a few moments and he’s fairly good with Ancient technology, but he’s not as good as you are. Try and turn it on,” Dr. Zelenak finished patting the table.

John walked over to the green topped table and placed his hand on it. It glowed to life, a 3-D image of the Pegasus Galaxy emerge from the table most of the stars had gate Addresses next to them. John’s eyes looked for the one that he’d been show in his dream, being outside the Galaxy itself it was not hard to find. When he found it he was surprised to see that next to it glowed six symbols, “That’s where we need to go,” he said pointing.

Dr. Zelenak looked at John with matching surprise, “out of all of these why that one?” he asked.

“I just know, that’s where we need to go, can you write down the address.”

Dr. Zelenak looked at John in confusion, “What address?”

“The one right…” John stopped seeing the confusion on Zelenak’s face, he couldn’t see it. “Sgt. Can you see it?” the Sgt’s response told John that he was the only one to see it. “How’d they do that…you give me that notepad,” John demanded pointing at a computer notepad held by one of the scientist.

***

“You had a dream, saw an Ancient and you didn’t tell anyone Major?” questioned Dr. Weir in disbelief.

“That’s not true…I told Carson” John replied sounding defensive.

“But not the rest of us, Major” snapped McKay very unhappy about not knowing something.

“And what was I suppose to say that some planet in the middle of nowhere with no gate is important but I don’t know why, what’s the point.” barked John.

“Well it became important” yelled McKay.

“And I’ve told you, now didn’t I” John said glaring at McKay.

“Only because you had to explain why you picked the place you did, Major,” ranted McKay.

“Rodney, that’s not fair, he only had it last night.” Dr. Carson Beckett calmly stated moving between the two men, “he understandably wanted time to think before telling us… and being interrogated.” the last part being directed at McKay.

“Carson’s right, he didn’t hide it for weeks, it’s been less than 24 hours and he did talk it over with someone. So let’s move past this and look at the information we have” Dr. Weir interrupted before anyone else could say anything more. “Why don’t we all retake our seats, now Dr. Zelenak, just what is this device?”

Dr.Zelenka’s eyes flicked over to where McKay, Sheppard and Carson were all taking their seats wondering if all the meeting were like this, “It’s a map, it’s may be more, but with only Major Sheppard able to work it..” he ended shrugging his shoulders.

“Why do you think only the Major could see the address for the planet,” Dr. Weir asked.

“That I don’t know, maybe a safeguard only the one working it could see some things, but I do know that it’s not a planet.” Dr. Zelenak stated.

“Stargates only go to planets Dr,” came the voice of Teyle peaking for the first time.

“It’s to far from the rest of Pegasus; the only way a planets is going to be there is if the Ancients put it there.”

“Why would the Ancients have anything out that far?” asked Lt. Ford.

“Defenses,” John answered, “It may be too far for the Wraith to reach and the Ancient said it didn’t have a gate.”

“If they can’t get there and it has no gate how we do it?” asked Dr. Beckett.

“We try the address that was with it, even if it goes somewhere else, it had to be with it for a reason,” Dr. Zelenak stated logically


	8. Off world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team goes off world to try and find some answers so at least some of their questions.

Broken into pieces beyond count and flung across the stars Major John Sheppard the ranking military officer of Atlantis and leader of its’ primary gate team and descendant of the Ancients that built both Atlantis and the Gates should not have been aware and yet he was.   
Most of the stars he could see looked blurred and distorted, with a bluish light forming a tube around him heading off into the distances both ahead and behind him. His arm hand and body looked fuzzy and …un-solid…as if they weren’t really there.  
“I have guided you to them,” the voice was the only source of sound and seemed wrong, like it shouldn’t be there. “Trust and they will show you the way,” John looked around to find the man from his dream, “Trust.”  
Once these words were out the world around John blurred as time resumed its’ endless waltz.

***

The four members of Atlantis’ main team stepped out of the Stargate together unaware that their trip had been interrupted. The world that they found was barren and flat rock, it looked dead and lifeless.   
“Major why would the Ancestors come here?” Asked Teyla as she looked around.  
“Yeah, everything’s so dead,” added Lt. Ford.  
“It’s been over 10,000 years. It may have been different then,” said McKay.  
“Or they may have been here for some other reason,” suggested John thinking about what the man had said.  
“Which way should we go?” Teyla asked as she looked about. The only thing that broke the flat landscape was a handful of mountains in the distant and an arc of rock that was a few feet in front of the Stargate.  
“Why go anywhere, I want to look at this arc,” McKay answered as he climbed over the rock, “just far enough from the Stargate not to be harmed but close enough that ships can’t get through.”  
“Yeah like the jumper, so we have to walk, Doctor,” stated Lt. Ford.  
“You’re missing the point, if the jumper can’t…” started McKay before Major Sheppard finished the thought.  
“Then a dart can’t either Lt.”  
“Oh” Lt. Ford was about to say more when all around them rock pillars rose out of the ground the surrounded them.  
The opening between the pillars were too small for any of them to fit through and they went up at least eighteen feet. Teyla, Ford, and Sheppard wasted no time in bringing up their weapons and scanning their surroundings, looking for the reason the trap was there. Rodney quickly dropped under their guns before he pulled out his equipment to see if he could uncover some clues.  
It was the life signs detector that found something, “Major, I’m picking up life signs all around us, and there moving, fast,” he said holding up the detector.  
“Where, I don’t see any thing,” demanded Lt. Ford.  
“I don’t know, maybe their invisible, maybe there too small maybe-” McKay was cut off when a large human-ish looking rock burst out of the ground, “…they’re under ground.”  
The rock had the upper body of a human with a blank expression and little detail, but its’ lower body was ruff rock, the rock pointed at the group, “Lower you weapons or leave,” the voice sounded like rock grinding together, when the sound ended more pillars rose making a path to the Stargate and other lowered giving the team a way to the Stargate but only the Stargate.  
After a few tense moments John lower his gun, “Lower them guys…they’re down now what?” he asked the rock.  
“Why have you come here?” came the grinding reply.  
“We’re explorers, we travel the different worlds looking for friends and allies,” John said looking at the rock person.  
“Why this world” the rocks demanded.  
John hesitated, the man had said to trust but should he.  
Seeing that John was not answering Teyla did, “We have a list of worlds, we are slowly making our way thru them.”  
“What do you want?” the rocks asked.  
“We’re looking for friends and allies…have you ever heard of the Wraith?” John asked.  
“Do you fight the Wraith or serve them,” the rock demanded, even in the strange speech the word Wraith sounded like a curse.  
“We fight them…do you,” Teyla asked speaking for the first time.  
“When they come here they do not leave. Why do you fight them?”  
“They see us as food, we need more reason?” Lt. Ford supplied.  
John looked at Ford before turning back to the rock person, “Basically that it, that’s why we fight.”   
“He tells the truth”  
“This Q and A is fun but does it have a point?” McKay asked getting bored.  
“To know you…” the rocks answered.  
The rock person didn’t move or make any more noise, just looked at them… John made his choice, “That’s not the whole truth,” John stopped when the other look at him in surprise, but he just kept looking at the rock, “we…I was told that you could help us fight the Wraith.”  
“Who told you that,” the grinding rocks demanded.  
“I don’t know his name, but he’s an Ancient. He led us to this world,” John told the rocks hoping that the Ancient was right and they could be trusted.  
The rock was still silent for some time before it spoke again, “We know of no…Ancients…yet you do not lie, how is this?”  
He had to be an Ancient, didn’t he…John thought before he remember his encounter with a Wraith from the War he didn’t call them Ancients, “Atlanticans, Ancients are what we call Atlanticans.”  
“They we do know, we knew them long age…before they woke…we watched as they fell…we sheltered those that remained.” The rocks replied.  
“You knew the Ancients before they meet the Wraith?” John asked is surprise.  
“Of course, they’re native to this galaxy…the Wraith couldn’t have been the only life to evolved in Pegasus,” McKay realized.  
“The Wraith were not the only life, they destroyed many others. Others would come here and talk to us. A few at first then more and more…then fewer and fewer. Then we heard of the Wraith…of the deaths…then for so long we were alone so alone. Then they came,” even threw the grinding the sadness of the rocks could be heard in its tail.  
“There are races older then the Ancients?” asked Lt. Ford.  
“Did not the record in Atlantis say that the Galaxy was devoid of life?” Teyla questioned recalling the message found in the city.  
“The Wraith killed them all…that’s why this Galaxy was lifeless when the Ancients got here,” McKay concluded.  
“We warned them of the Wraith, they thought they were powerful enough not to fear the Wraith…they were wrong…they were forced to abandon all to the Wraith.”  
John looked at the rock’s form, “How did you know that the Atlanticans weren’t all killed like the other races?” he asked.  
“We were told by the one that remained,” it answered.  
“That why…did he leave a message or any thing,” John demanded.  
“For the one that can use it he left one thing,” the rocks said as it motioned to a spot on the other side of the stone cage. There was a different rumble and grinding as that spot began to bulge then grow into a large dome raising from the earth, growing bigger and bigger till at last it stopped.  
What happen next surprised them all, a part of the wall slide away to reveal a new looking and very Atlantican looking door. 


	9. Rock Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stories are told, history is given and something is found.

“Open it,” Dr. Rodney McKay, the Head Scientist of Atlantis told Major John Sheppard as he pushed him forward towards the tunnel and the door within.  
John responded with a dirty glare at McKay before stepping closer to the door. Once he neared the door he noticed that the walls turned from rock to polished metal. The door was like most that they had found back on Atlantis, the only different was that the controls were dark and didn’t respond to his touch at all. “Nothing. Rodney, see what you can do,” he said as he backed his way out of the tunnel so that Rodney could try.  
“No problem, it’s only been 10,000 years. I’m sure I can make it work,” McKay complained as he made his way into the tunnel and the door before pulling open the control panel.  
As McKay worked on the door John turned back to the rest of his team. Teyla was asking the rock what they knew of the Wraith or the Ancients, which seemed to be very little that his team didn’t already know…except for what happened before the Ancients arrived. John glanced back at McKay before he leaned on the rock dome and listening to the rocks story.  
“Long ago, before the first darkness we had may friends among the stars…our world is rock, rock that other wish to have, most came looking for metal to mine but they found us. Some asked to study us, some tried to claim this world without our consent, but most were happy to trade and talk and that we did. We can not leave our world so we rely on other to come here. We would trade metal for stories of the stars. How we loved those stories. They were of glories battles, everlasting love, and grand adventures. Dozens of different race would speak with us. Traders and wanderers, they had the best stories,” the rock stopped for a moment as the creature turned and looked to the stars, “…that is how we first learned of the Wraith. An explorer and his crew found a beautiful world. They found a new race to talk and trade with. Then the Wraith fell upon that world feeding…few people were able to escape…one fled here…we did not understand then…none did. The Wraith fell upon the many races that filled the stars. Those that could fight back…some even held out for a short time but in the end all fell and for ages we were alone for so long…so long…then they came. The Atlantican, we tried to warn them but they did not listen,” the rock shifted to turn to Major Sheppard, “they were full of pride and believe that they were unstoppable…they were wrong. They met the Wraith and they fought. Fewer and fewer came till he came at last and we were told that all of the other had left…that all the stars were now the Wraith’s. He did not leave…” the rock stopped and looked over the group watching them. “He did not leave…he stayed to fight them…then he stopped coming and we have been alone again…till now. We have told our story, tell us yours.”  
John looked over at Teyla before he stepped forward, closer to the rock creature, “The doctor, Lt. and I aren’t from around here, we’re from a different group of stars very far from here. We came here looking for the Anc-Atlantican, but all we found was Atlantis. We’re looking for anything they left behind in this Galaxy. We have to fight the Wraith and protect this Galaxy and ours,” John said before looking at the rest of his team. The rock creature kept looking at him when it hit John that the creature was waiting for more, “uhm…I have a good story, it’s how we first got here. Like I said we’re from pretty far, so far that normally the Stargate can’t travel the distance but we found a way to make one trip, so a team of us were put together. Now most are scientists like McKay,” he explained pointing to where McKay was trying to open the dome door, “But some are soldiers like the Lt. and me. When we first got here…” and so John told the rocks of their arrival in Atlantis, meeting Telya and the Wraith and of the rising of Atlantis.  
John was about to go on to the next story when McKay’s shouts of joy got their attention, “I’ve got it, it’s open,” McKay yelled, as he came out of the dome.

***

“What is this place?” Teyla asked as she, McKay, and Sheppard made their way down the first and what appeared to be the main hall of the dome. Ford had been left by the entrance to both keep an eye on the rock and to go for help should something happened to the three inside.  
“It might be one of the Ancient’s out-posts…like the one in Antarctica maybe,” McKay rambled as he tried to open the door they came across after reaching a corner.  
The door was set right next to a turn that went into the center of the dome. John looked around the hall and guessed that the first hall was 20-25 feet long and after the turn it when as far as his light so at least another anther fifty or more feet.  
John was pulled out of his planning when McKay started arguing with the door, loudly. “Rodney, yelling at the door wouldn’t open it.” he said in his best smug like tone that he knew Rodney hated.  
It worked perfectly as McKay turned from the door to John with his now condescending voice, “I know that, but it helps me work. Now do you want this door open or not.”  
“No,” John said surprising McKay with his response, “I want to go over the rest of this hall first.”  
McKay just looked at Sheppard, “well…then…fine,” he said as he shoved the crystals back into the panel that he had been working on. After shoving them in he slammed it shut and just when he was about to stand the large double doors hissed parting a few inches causing all three to look at the doors, “Without even trying,” McKay gloated.  
“Since it is open should we not investigate?” Teyla suggested hoping to forestall any further arguments.  
“Since it is open, lets,” John conceded giving McKay a look, “you first.”  
“What?! Why me, what if, what I mean is…”McKay stammered.  
“I will go first,” Teyla said wedging her finger in the crack.  
“You ruin all my fun, “John mumbled as he moved in to help Teyla with the door.  
“What was that Major I couldn’t hear you,” she asked as they pulled the doors.  
“Nothing, nothing at all,” he responded as they pulled. 

The room beyond was filled with machines and equipment of all shapes and sizes. The room also held a number of different control consoles like the one back in Atlantis. The room was also dark and inactive, the only light was from three beams of light that the team held.  
“So this is a lab,” John said as he looked around.  
“No, no it isn’t Major,” McKay stated, as he looked closer at one of the bigger machines.  
“Why do you say that Doctor,” Teyla asked.  
“Because this is a hyper drive.”


	10. Ship Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk about what they found and make plans.

“It’s a ship”  
“It’s a ‘Farstar’ class exploration vessel,” Chief Scientist Rodney McKay expounded as he motioned to the hologram that was floating in the middle of the meeting room.  
The ship looked like a crystal with both the front and the back forming points with the main body of the ship formed of leaner lines. The sides of the ship were angled out so that they formed a point about half way up the sides. All in all the soft white form looked elegant in its simplicity.  
“An exploration ship?” asked Dr. Weir.  
“Yes,” Dr. Zelenka responded,” after the Ancients left our galaxy they needed a way to scout ahead of Atlantes to find worlds to visit and inhabit.”  
“Why not just send Atlantis. They went to almost every planet in the galaxy anyway,” Major John Sheppard asked.  
“The Ancients yes, Atlantis no. The city can’t move very fast. The energy requirements to open and maintain such a large hyperspace window are very damaging and difficult to maintain. They would have had to stop and maintain a number of systems every day or so. And even in the window the mass…”Dr. Zelenka was explaining when Rodney cut in.  
“Yes yes yes, that not important. What is important is that they made them and that we found one.”  
“What can it do,” Dr. Weir asked trying to make sure that the group stayed on topic.  
Rodney turned to Dr. Weir, “Well Elizabeth, the main reason for the ship was to out pace the city. To do this they gave it a Tran-galactic drive, now the speed of the drive isn’t that much faster than an Asgard drive, but the Ancients-“Rodney said before Zelenka cut him off.  
“They made it smaller, much smaller,” he said excitedly.  
“1/8th of the size. Whole decks on Asgard, Goa’uld, and our ship are used to hold drives but-“  
“One room,” Zelanka continued Rodney’s thought.  
“And not even the whole room, it has deep space radar.”  
“Long range life signs detector,”  
“Scanners more advanced than anything the Asgard have,”  
“Hm, maybe not anything,” Zelanka pointed out to Rodney.  
“Ok maybe not…but smaller,” Rodney said after thinking about it for a few seconds.  
“Yes much smaller, the whole ship is only 100 feet long by 54 feet wide,”  
“What about weapons, does it have Drones,” Major John Sheppard asked thinking about maybe being able to defend Atlantis if the Wraith came.  
McKay just rolled his eye as Zelenka spoke, “Weapons always weapons.”  
“That’s the military, great scientific find and all he cares about is weapons,” Rodney said sounding annoyed as Zelenka said something rude sounding in his own language.  
“Yeah weapons so we can protect you,” Lt. Ford said speaking up from his out of the way place he normally hides in.  
“If the Wraith come to this world looking for the Ancestors having one of these ships would be most helpful doctor,” Teyla added trying to keep the arguing down to a minimal amount.  
Rodney rolled his eye one last time before answering the question, “Yes it has weapons but not drones. This ship uses an energy weapon like the defense satellite we found only on a smaller scale.”  
“What about power?” Dr. Weir asked, “Does it need a ZEM?”  
“No,” Zelenka replied before adding, “and yes.”  
“What do you mean no and yes?” Weir said for the whole room.  
“The main power is designed to use a ZedPM but,” Rodney started.  
“The back up is very much like our Naquadah generators and with a little work…”Zelenka tailed off.  
“We won’t have full power, but we will have power.”  
“I want both of you to see if you can get it flying, Major,” Weir said turning to John, “use the Ancient database and learn as much about flying this ship as you can.”  
“No problem,” John answered.  
“Teyla, go with McKay and Zelenka and try to find as much about the Ancients from this rock…person as you can, take one of the anthropologist with you. If they deal in stories we don’t want to run out.”  
“You need not worry, I know a great many stories,” Teyla assured her.  
“Still just in case,” Dr. Weir replied.

***

“It’s not powering up, are you sure you have it connected right?” McKay asked from his spot by the hyperdrive.  
“Yes Rodney I do, are you sure you have it turned on?” Zelenka snapped back.

***

“What can you tell us of the man that left the ship, did he leave any other messages,” Teyla asked the rock.  
“Yes, that we tell no stories of him,” the rock side in it’s grinding voice.  
“What can you tell us of the other Ancients or the Wraith,” Teyla asked.

***

John rubbed his eyes trying to un-blur his vision. He’d been reading and rereading everything the Ancients had on the ‘Farstar’ ships. They weren’t all that different then the Jumpers they just had lot more they could do, like maneuver rings around them and anything else in the sky…or space. John flipped the page and started to go over the controls one more time when the sound of footsteps on the main staircase caused him to look over to the other side of the control room.  
The first thing that hit him was that the room it self was empty, no techs keeping an eye on the gate, no guards keeping an eye on them. The only sound was of footsteps.  
John crossed half the room with his hand on his sidearm before the person reached the doorway. Once there he saw who it was, “What did you do with the others?” he demanded.  
“Others,” the man asked with a casual tone.  
“Yeah, the others, that were in this room, what did you do with them,” John demanded once more stepping closer to the Ancients.  
“Ah, the others,” he said with a sad smirk, “you’re just like him, putting his men first, before anything…anything,” the man said looking away as his words grew soft. But before John could ask again the man looked back at John and spoke normal again, “they’re fine in the real world…you fell asleep.”  
“Why are you here? The others can’t like you doing this. You practical gave us that ship. You knew that I’d be able to see the address. That’s why you showed me that world,” John questioned, “isn’t it?”  
The man looked at John before he spoke, “No, I showed you that place because you must go there and soon. And I showed you that address because our first meeting was cut short.”  
“That’s was why only I could see it, because it was from you?” John asked.  
“Yes, and as for why I’m helping you…that is for a later time, if ever,” the man held up his hand to stall John’s protest, “my reasons are my own. I didn’t come here to tell you what I have done but to tell you what you must do.”  
“And what’s that?” John asked crossing is arms.  
“You must take my ship and go to the place I showed you and stop by Proculus on the way, but you must leave soon, with in two days and no later, and no I will not tell you why.”  
“Why won’t you tell me the others will never know. Hell if they knew about this meeting it wouldn’t be happening would it,” John asked.  
“You are right, but I still will not tell you. See Athar first if you must but you must leave with the ship within two days.”  
“Why”  
“If you don’t’ you’ll be too late.”  
“Late for what…late for what,” John demanded of the Ancient but the Ancient didn’t move, “late for what,” John demanded one last time as he stepped forward.  
Once he stepped forward John found himself half stumbling out of his chair with Dr. Peter Grodin looking at him with concern, “Major are you all right,” the scientist asked as he came over to John side.  
“Yeah, I’m fine just a little sleepy that’s all,” John said hoping that Peter would buy it.  
“You yelled something about being late,” Peter Grodin gently questioned.  
“Yes, if I don’t get to bed soon I’ll be late for the meeting when the others get back,” he said as he left the control room leaving a concerned scientist in his wake. 


	11. Final Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team makes plans about what they are going to do with the ship.

“Hello Major, I’ve been looking for you,” Dr. Carson Beckett, Atlantis’s Chief of Medicine, told John Sheppard as he sat across from him looking at Johns full tray of food, “not hungry,” he asked as he cut into his…something.

“Not really Doc,” John said looking at his breakfast. “We were going to a different Galaxy, you’d think the military would send sausage that actually looked like the real thing,” he said as he stabbed him meat.

“That’s what this is, I thought we traded for it,” Carson said surprised. 

“No, it came from good old earth,” John said taking a bite, “what’s up?”

“I wanted to thank you for not telling the others that I had a relative on Atlantis as well,” Carson said looking at John.

“Wasn’t important to the meeting,” John shrugged as he chopped his meat into smaller pieces.

“Even so, thank you Major”

“It’s John…and I saw him again,” John said looking up from his meal.

“When, what did he say,” questioned the doctor.

“Last night and all he would say is that I have to take his ship to whatever that place is. Oh and that I might want to visit Chaya…”

“Did he say what it was …or that Chaya might know?”

“Only that it’s important and that if we don’t get there soon it’ll be too late and that Chaya might be able to talk me into going.”

“Have you talking to Dr. Weir yet?”

“Not yet, I’d figured I’d go later,” John said as he took a bite of meat.

***

“Ah Peter, How are you doing,” Dr. Elizabeth Weir, head of Atlantis asked looking up from her desk.

“I’m fine Dr. Weir,” Dr. Peter Grodin started before fully entering the room, “you needed to see me?”

“Yes, a couple of days ago I asked you to work with both McKay and Zelenka on the heavily encrypt part of the database. Now, I realize that with both of them working on other more pressing matters you may be on your own most of the time. They’ll help when they can…”Dr. Weir told Peter when he interrupted.

“I understand Dr. Weir…if I can ask…what did they find?” Peter asked.

“Find”

“On the planet they were on, Major Sheppard’s team was gone less than four hours then McKay locked himself and Zelenka in his lab overnight then after a short meeting they both left without the Major. The whole city is talking about it,” he explanted.

“I didn’t realize that. I suppose I should have. Now don’t get excited but we may have found a ship,” she paused seeing the surprise on his face, “it’s a small one and we don’t know what shape it’s in but…” she stopped when the Stargate burst to life in the room below, “if that’s them maybe they have some answers, just work on the Database when you can.” She said as she headed for the control room.

***

“Just a few more hours”

“You’ve already had over four Rodney,” Dr. Weir told the complaining scientist.

“Fine,” he snapped as he dropped into his seat.

There was a pause till Dr. Zelenka decided to start, “The ship will work fine but the biggest problem will be power…”

“I thought a Naquadah generator would work,” cut in John.

“If the last owner hadn’t screwed with it yes it would have, but he changed the drive from a Tran-galactic to an interstellar drive,” Rodney complained.

“And the power can’t reach the new drive,” Zelenka added.

“Why would he have done that Doctor?” asked Teyla.

“The ship can’t get to another galaxy it would take far too long,” McKay answered.

“Can we use it Rodney?” Dr. Weir questioned.

“Yes, under limited circumstance,” McKay started when Carson interrupted.

“Very limiting.”

“Yes well,” Rodney said not looking at Carson.

“What is it?” John asked this time.

“Because of how we had to route power a lot is wasted to run the hyper drive, with what’s left we can run the cloak, shields on a very low setting, and a very cold environment for four.”

“Three”

Rodney gave Carson a glare before continuing, “Three people in one room.”

“One room?”

“Only three?”

“How cold McKay?”

McKay turned to John before answering his question, “Around negative five Celsius,” he held up his hands to stop the outburst he knew was coming, “with some of our heaters and warm clothing we can make it closer to zero.”

“That’s so much better,” Lt. Ford said sarcastically.

“Why only three people Doctor,” Telya asked before he could reply to Lt. Fords comment, as she gave Ford a disapproving look.

“I think four but Carson think it would be safer with only three because of the life support, more that four or three people will tax the power we can supply it with,” Rodney said.

“Anything else,” Dr. Weir double-checked.

“Ah-yes one thing,” Zelenka started,” the control in the engine room have security safe guards that require the person to have the real Gene. The artificial gene won’t work, not sure why,” he finished.

“So John, Rodney, I assume you both plan on going,” Dr. Weir asked. John nodded and so did McKay at first.

“Go…Go where?”

“To what ever that thing outside the Galaxy is,” John said smiling, “the Ancient said we have to leave soon.”

McKay just glared at John, “Why am I always the last to know, why didn’t someone say something sooner?” he started his rant.

“Oh, I thought you’d find out sooner or later,” John said grinning, about to go on when both Carson and Weir stop him.

“Major”


	12. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three of Atlantis’s finest make a trip out beyond the galaxy and to the unknown.

“What am I doing here?” Dr. Carson Beckett complained as he grabbed an extra blanket to try and fend off the cold.

“You’re the one who said we needed to have a doctor,” Major John Sheppard answered.

“And we needed someone with the gene…only you and one other medical person, a surgeon, have it,” Dr. Rodney McKay said as he checked over the engine.

The three men were holed up in the engine room of the ‘FarStar’ ship they found on the rocky world and were now on their on there way to whatever the place was with a small detour to Proculus which happened to be on the way.

“And how long are we going to be in this icebox,” asked Carson.

“One more day to Proculus and 13 more to PX-9374,” McKay answered before seeing the confusion on Carson’s face, “the…what ever it is out side the Galaxy.”

“Ahh…”

***

“Warmth, Warmth at last,” Rodney shouted as he jumped out of the ship.

“I thought you said it wouldn’t be that bad McKay,” John asked as he followed him out of the ship grinning.

McKay just turned and glared at John, “unlike some people I had to get up and check the drives, thus having to leave my warm blankets, Major.”

“Of course Rodney,” Dr. Beckett added as he joined the other outside.

McKay just shot Carson a glance before turning back to John, “Have fun with Athar I’ve got things to check,” he said as he returned to the slowly warming ship.

“O-I’m going with you,” Carson said seeing the questioning glance he was receiving from John.

***

“Chaya is expecting you,” the priest said as the two reached Athar’s temple.

“Is she now? How’d she know we were coming?” John asked the man.

“Athar informed her of course,” was the reply.

“Of course,” John said as the two men made their way to the steps.

“You know very well how she knew we were coming Major,” Carson said once they were out of earshot of the priest. John just grinned.

***

“Thank you for the tea Chaya, it’s very good,” Carson thanked Chaya as he took another sip of this drink.

“You are most welcome. I’m glad to see you both.” Chaya answered as she too sipped her tea.

John just looked at his full cup of tea, “Yeah its great…look Chaya, one of the reasons we’re here is we were told that you might have some answers for us…do you?” John asked directly.

Chaya put down her cup and looked over at John before starting, “There are things I can explain and others that I can not,” Chaya rose and glided over to her window before continuing, “The ship you found belonged to the last Commander of Atlantis’s Defense Fleet. When the city was sunk and the rest of our fleets abandoned this galaxy he alone remained behind to stand and fight the Wraith. When the Council made it clear that we were leaving he protested and when the Council would not reconsider he made it clear that he was not leaving and then he renamed his ship ‘A Knight’s Requiem’ and would not return to Earth with the others,” Chaya looked out the window and watched the people outside. 

“That’s why we couldn’t find the ship in the database,” John realized, “isn’t it? What was the ship’s name?”

“‘A Knight’s Honor’ was the Flagship of our scout fleet…I remember the day he was chosen to be its’ Captain. I’ve never seen him so happy than the day he was named Commander of Atlantis’s Advance Fleet,” Chaya signed as her thought drifted.

“I thought you said he was the Commander of the Defense Fleet,” Carson asked breaking several minutes of silence.

Chaya turned from her window before she answered Carson’s question, “That came later after Admiral Ovien had fallen,” Chaya paused as she took her seat and refilled her tea. Then she continued, “Graham thought that becoming one of the three Admirals would allow him to convince the others that their plan to withdraw was wrong…by that time we had been fighting the Wraith for years and we were losing world after world. The plan to leave and return to Earth had been suggested and was gaining support in the council. Being a member only let him see that they were going to leave and to him, abandon their responsibility to the people they had created. He lost faith in the council and in the end even with Trimo I think. Before the last battle over Atlantis he told the council that he would remain after the others had returned to Earth. Even after the council forbid his decision he still made it clear that he would remain and there was nothing they could to do make him leave,” Chaya paused again and drank her tea.

“Is that why he’s helping us, still trying to fight the Wraith?” John questioned.

“He sees your expedition from Earth as his last chance to corrected one of our people’s greatest mistakes…I believe he chose you for the same reason I did. You are more like us than any other,” Chaya told John.

“What about this place we’re heading…what is it?” John said asking even more questions.

“I am afraid that is one of the questions that I can not answer John,” Chaya regretfully told him.

“Can you at least tell us if it’s safe?” John asked as a follow-up.

“It’s safer than many places you will travel…that is all I can say,” She told him as she refilled Carson’s cup.

“Thank-you,” Carson said taking a sip, “How did he plan on fighting the Wraith by himself when your whole race failed.

“He did what the others would never do. He gave the people the weapons to defend themselves. It was not the same as ours, they did not have the ability to build them but it was closer to what the Wraith had. For a time it worked but in the end the Wraith just burned those world with their ships in space,” Chaya stopped unable to go on.

“You mean the barren worlds we’ve found…” John started before stopping.

“He stopped trying to recruit others after that; he struck them himself till at last he ascended. The first thing he tried to do was destroy the Wraith, but the other stopped him.”

“Why?!” Carson asked.

“To interfere is not our way.”


	13. The Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and they reach the end of the trip and find something.

“So she didn’t have anything to say about whatever it is we’re heading to?” Rodney McKay asked the two other men as they left the Proculus system.

“She said she couldn’t,” Major John Sheppard told McKay as he turned up the heater hoping to warm up the room.

“But she did give us a wee bit of background on our mystery man? Like a name, Graham,” Doctor Carson Beckett added.

“His name, yes great. Did you get anything useful?” snapped McKay.

“Well what would you consider useful?” John asked.

***

“So what is it McKay?”

“With the power we have I can’t tell…I’m cutting power to the cloak and shield.”

Both John and Carson watched as McKay redirected power and reconnected his wiring trying to get the scanners working.

At last the display over the controls came to life showing them their first view of their destination.

“It’s a space station,” Rodney said in surprise.

And it was, the main part was about the size of one of Atlantis piers, in the form of a ring with windows that shown with light around its outer layer. Beneath the ring was a large spider web like frame that made a huge sphere that was half the size of Atlantis, just hollow.

“What is it,” Carson asked pointing at the sphere.

“It could be a number of things…the power reading are off the scale…these look familiar…where…”McKay muttered as he looked over the data.

“You have to dock us Major!” he exclaimed as he focused the image to show what looked like a dock port, “right there, can you do it?”

“Of course I can, what kind of pilot do you think I am?” John shot back before taking the controls to slowly maneuver the ship in, “So what is it?” John re-asked Carson’s question.

“A power station.”

***

“Open, Open, Open.”

“That won’t make it open any faster Rodney,” Carson told the man as they waited for the docking door to open.

Rodney just glared at Carson as they waited for the door to cycle through with John grinning in front of them both.

John was the first one through the door when it did open at last. It opened into a brightly illuminated curved hallway; the left wall had windows every few feet with the stars of Pegasus giving them a breathtaking view. The other side of the hallway had doors lining the wall.

As the three men made their way into the hall the lights flickered and the whole station shook.

“What was that,” John demanded.

“That’s the reason we have to keep moving,” McKay said as he walked forward and looked into the first doorway, “Nope” was all he said before going on down the hall.

John gave Carson a look to with Carson just shrugged his shoulders, “McKay, what are you looking for?”

McKay stopped in front of the next door before he answered John’s question, “this is a PowerStation for Zedpm, and the readings I got from the ship are the same as when a Zedpm enters final entropy and fails only this time it’s not contained,” he stopped talking as he looked into the room his was in front of, “not this one either. We have to find the control room and find out why it’s not contained!” he added as he made his way to the next door.

“Zpms, here, how do you know?” asked a surprised Major.

“One of the first thing Zelenka and I did when we first got here was try and find them, and we did find out how to make them, but we couldn’t do it back at Atlantis because of gravity.”

“Gravity?” Carson repeated.

“That’s why it’s way out here. The Gravity of the Pegasus Galaxy is almost nil out here…why didn’t I see it sooner,” he explained as he opened the next door and looked in, “Finally.”

***

John and Carson watched as Rodney moved from one control panel to the next, studying and comparing the readings for a reason that neither man could understand.

The room shook again lasting longer and far more violent than before. One of the panels partly burst causing sparks to fly out at Rodney.

“Rodney,” Carson spotted as Rodney growled at the panel, “let me see your hand,” he ordered trying to get a look at the hand Rodney was cradling against his body.

“Later Carson,” Rodney said as he poked at the now dead panel, “Dam, we have to find the Main Lab now,” he barked as he stormed out of the room.

John looked over at Carson in concern, “He didn’t want your attention.”

“Aye…something’s wrong major,” Carson added as the two men followed Rodney back into the hall.

The two men followed McKay as he checked every room for the Main Lab he was looking for till at last he found a staircase that lead down a level. Rodney’s shout of triumph when he got to the bottom confirmed that this was the Lab he was seeking.

The lab was huge taking up most of the level with stairs on both sides. The center of the room was a ring of control panels around a raised circle that looked like the ZPM base back at Atlantis only bigger with what looked like five ZPM in a circle with a sixth one raised up and glowing…black.

Carson was the first in the room after Rodney and quickly moved to his side, “Rodney, let me look at that hand,” Carson said trying to get a better look at the wounded hand.

“Not now Carson I’m busy,” growled the scientist as he pounded the controls.

“McKay what are you doing and why is that Zpm black?” demanded John.

“I’m trying to stop that Zedpm from cascading into final entropy Major,” McKay paused for a moment, “and that is why it’s black.”

“What dose that mean Rodney,” Carson asked after giving up trying to get to Rodney’s arm.

“When a Zedpm dies a lot of power is created in the end. Normally the power is controlled, it was that last burst of power Atlantis used to raise from the ocean, but here there is no control. It’ll come out in one huge burst of power, overwhelming everything, every system will overload at one time.”

“Can you stop it,” John questioned.

“Of course I can, who do you think I am?!” Rodney retorted.

John just glared at the man.

*Beep*

“Oh-no.”

“What’s wrong McKay?”

“It’s too damaged…I can still fix it,” Rodney said franticly moving from one panel to the next.

“Can’t you just turn it off somehow?” Carson asked from behind the two men.

“Yes of course I completely overlooked the off switch! What was I thinking?!” McKay snapped at the man.

John just watched as the black Zpm started to throb, cracking as small lights around the room burst and one of the panels exploded on the other side of the Zpm base, “That’s it we’re leaving, now,”

“I can fix this, I can fix this” McKay shouted just before another panel exploded, “or not. Grab the Zedpms,” he said as the Zpm started to rise out of the base.

Both McKay and Sheppard started to grab the Zpm but when Carson moved to join them John stopped him giving him different orders, “Go back and start the ‘Knight’, it’s just like the Jumper, Go Now.”

***

“Get us out of here Major,” McKay yelled pulling wires and crystals in a rush.

John moved the ship from the station as fast as he could trying to put as much distances from the station as the ship could, “How big will this be?”

“I don’t…” Rodney paused as the station started to break up and exploded, rocking the Knight with the shock wave rocking the ship, causing it to nearly nose over before being righted.

“That big Major,”

***

“Nice,” Major John Sheppard said as he bounced on the bed. Leaning back looked around the room. At fifteen by fifteen feet it was rather large giving the size of the ship but it was the captain’s room. Other than the bed the room also held a desk and a dresser set into the wall.

The most amazing thing about the room was that unlike Atlantis it hadn’t been emptied of all personal items. Clothes in the dresser, a handful of carved animal figure the desk, and what looked like a hand draw sketch of Graham and an older looking version of himself, both in some kind of uniform standing side by side.

Atlantis had been so devoid of personal items it was odd seeing any here. John just laid there taking it in.

“What do you think of her?” a voice asked out of nowhere.  
John’s eyes snapped open to see the Ancient leaning against the wall by the foot of the bed, “What.”

“The Ship, what do you think of her,” the Ancient asked.

“Well…I haven’t had a chance to really see what she can do but so far she’s good,” the Major answered the man.

“Wait till you get her out into open space…she’s a great ship,” Graham said as he walked over to the dresser and began to look for something.

The man paused then pulled out a small round disk, looking at it before turning back to John, “You’re her Captain now John Sheppard.”

John realized that something was happing and rose, standing before the Ancient, “what is that?” he asked.

“My Badge of Rank…and now your Captain Sheppard,” the man said pushing the disk onto John’s collar.

“Hey, I’m a Major not a Captain.” John complained.

“An Atlantian Captain is better than an Earth Major,” Chaya told John as she appeared next to Graham.

“Earth isn’t that bad,” John insisted.  
“It has only just looked beyond it’s own world. Atlantis ruled whole Galaxies Captain,” Graham said, “and you are now its highest ranking military member…you will find new doors opened to you back in Atlantis.”

“With the ZPM we can fully power the city, with the shields,” pointed out John.

“You’ll be able to do far more then that Captain, you can reform the Council…”

“After all these years…Atlantis will have a council once more,” Chaya finished for Graham.

“Council? What Council …”suddenly it hit John that they were both here not in a dream or at lest he didn’t think it was a dream, “why are you both here. Why aren’t the others doing something,” he demanded.

“The others are looking elsewhere, Oma is moving openly,” Chaya told John looking at Graham.

“For now they are not looking at us”

“Major…Major,” McKay yelled threw the door, “Major,” he gave one last yell before he opened the door.

By the time the door was open only John was in the room, standing by the bed glaring at McKay.

“What”


End file.
